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Stop DRIP

STOP DRIP - No to Mass Surveillance

In one short week, the UK Parliament is set to ram through a new bill on mass surveillance. It is the "Data Retention and Investigatory Powers" Bill, AKA DRIP. Even though the Government says it will change nothing, it will in fact attack our right to a private life and extend mass surveillance further.

DRIP will undermine human rights

DRIP was a stitch up between the 3 main parties behind closed doors

DRIP tightens the grip of mass surveillance

DRIP will extend surveillance powers

DRIP will be forced through in less than a week, with no proper scrutiny

The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill will allow the state to force Internet and phone companies to store your personal data so it can be accessed at will by a large number of public bodies.

The Home Office has claimed it's a matter of "life and death". Is you ringing your partner or family telling them you forgot to pick up the milk a matter of life and death? Under DRIP it is, and you need to be recorded.

This law is set to be pushed through under emergency powers.

The "emergency" is not about a real concrete danger to you. The real emergency is about the government undermining our fundamental rights. David Cameron has said it is about harm to UK citizens. It is David Cameron who is harming UK citizens by taking our rights way.

We are asking you to ring or email your Member of Parliament and let us know how it went.

DRIP will undermine human rights

The starting point for the latest attack on our privacy rights was a ruling by the European Court of Justice back in April. Blanket surveillance was found to interfere "in a particularly serious manner with the fundamental rights to respect private life and to the protection of personal data".

This was because mass surveillance is about every communication between anyone, even if they are not even indirectly suspected of any crime. This is obviously disproportionate.

DRIP was a stitch up between the 3 main parties behind closed doors

Following the Snowden revelations, all parties are now well aware that any law to do with data and surveillance is an important issue for many voters. Even so, the Conservatives, Labour and LibDems put a deal together in secret without involving the public. In fact, the first even many MPs knew about this deal was a splash in the Sun newspaper. Our democracy deserves better than this.

The government has claimed this is just a continuation of the same powers they already have. In fact, #DRIP significantly extends the scope of RIPA interception warrants, so they can be used against ISPs based outside the UK, as well as against almost any organisation providing online services. Many legal experts have said they are concerned it opens up the extent and intent of UK surveillance. We deserve proper debate and scrutiny on these powers.

DRIP will be forced through with no proper scrutiny in a week

The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill is due to be pushed through Parliament in less than a week. Data law is notoriously difficult and there are always many objections. It's only fair that this is properly looked at, not rushed through to work around MP's holidays. The timetable has not given constituents enough time to look through and discuss it with their members of parliament. Even an MP like Julian Huppert has admitted that he doesn't know the full implication of what parliament is supposed to be agreeing.

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